Part One: Spatial Strategy and Policies (Regulation 19)
The Borough's Geology
13.19. Geology affects where and how we build, as well as how we deliver, and design associated infrastructure and services. The geology of Dudley is rich in industrial minerals and has played a significant role in shaping the areas heritage.
Policy DLP52 The Borough's Geology Comment
- The Council will seek to safeguard and maximise the benefits of the borough's unique and internationally recognised geology by requiring development to prescribe to and apply the relevant guidelines contained within the Council's latest Nature Conservation Supplementary Planning Document with the priority on preventing harm to sites of recognised (or anticipated and subsequently demonstrated) geological importance or mitigating with appropriate remedial actions where agree.
- Sites and connectivity particularly referred to by this policy includes:
- National and Local Nature Reserves with unique/ nationally important geological heritage (NNRs LNRs)
- Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs)
- Sites of Importance for Nature Conservation identified with regionally important geological heritage (SINCs)
- Other important geological sites within the context of the Black Country UNESCO Global Geopark (See Policy DLP35) including Sites of Local Importance for Nature conservation (SLINCs) etc.
- Geological Consideration Zones (GCZ) – see appendix 3
- Where consequential harm to geodiversity occurs as a result of a development, the level of improvement works needed to balance and or mitigate this will be assessed on a site-by-site basis.
- Maintaining and enhancing the Borough's geology will be ensured by:
- Ensuring compliance with any existing site/feature management plans and ongoing processes.
- Encouraging the acquisition of new data via such things as permitting access for and encouraging on-site geological recording particularly where development creates new geological exposures (whether as temporary excavations or permanent landscape adjustments).
- The provision of new facilities and features associated with the management, display and interpretation of the geological resource including those which would contribute positively to Dudley Borough, or collectively along with the other Black Country Authorities, as part of the UNESCO Global Geopark delivery.
- Valued soils will be protected and enhanced, including those important to the best and most versatile agricultural land. Development should mitigate soil disturbance through careful soils management during construction and should not contribute to unacceptable levels of soil pollution. Major Developments should be accompanied by a soils management plan to ensure that soil resources are conserved and managed in a sustainable way.
Justification
13.20. New developments should have regard to the conservation of geological features and should take opportunities to achieved gains for conservation through the form and design of development.
13.21. Where development is proposed that would affect an identified geological site the approach should be to avoid adverse impact to the existing geological interest. If this is not possible, the design should seek to retain as much as possible of the geological interest and enhance this where achievable, for example by incorporating permanent sections with the design, or creating new interest of at least equivalent value by improving access to the interest.
13.22. Negative impacts of development should be minimised, and any residual impacts mitigated.
13.23. In 2020 the Black Country UNESCO Global Geopark was declared due to it internationally important geology and cultural heritage. Developments affecting UNESCO Global Geopark sites should also met the requirements of DLP35.
13.24. Development (soil sealing) has a major and usually irreversible adverse impact on soils. Mitigation should aim to minimise soil disturbance and to retain as many ecosystem services as possible through careful soil management during the construction process.
13.25. Agricultural Land Classification and Best and Most Versatile mapping and data includes but is not limited to the MAGIC (defra.gov.uk) website and Natural England. For example Agricultural Land Classification map West Midlands Region - ALC004[62] and Likelihood of Best and Most Versatile (BMV) Agricultural Land - Strategic scale map West Midlands Region - ALC01665.
